Lost in the Boonies
by Lt. Wolfe
Summary: Lt Goldman & Sgt Anderson are left behind in the boonies


Lost in the Boonies  
  
Written by: Lt. Wolfe Category: Adventure  
Rating: PG  
Summery: Written in response to the 'missing episode' fan fic challenge. The setting is after the episode 'The Volunteer' and before the episode 'The Luck.'  
Disclaimer: All TOD characters are copyright by Tour of Duty.  
  
Lt. and Sgt. Anderson watched as the chopper faded from their sight. As it grew smaller in the afternoon sky, they wondered how long they would be stranded all alone in the boonies. No one could come for them again at least until morning light. The NVA were all around them.  
"Well Lt. I guess it's escape and evasion time. We have to keep 'charlie' from findin' us until McKay can come back."  
Goldman didn't want to admit that his sergeant was right.  
"That means staying on the move. Never let 'charlie' find us in one place."  
"Are you able to walk, Lt?" Anderson asked with genuine concern for his friend.  
"The leg hurts like hell, but I'll be right behind you all the way. That reminds me, I thought I ordered you to go with the chopper and not come back for me."  
"Well, Lt. It goes like this here. We are a team and it would be an awful shame to break up a good team. Besides, it's too late in this here tour of mine to break in another Lt."   
"Gee thanks, Sgt. Your loyalty is commendable." Lt. said jokingly.  
"It ain't loyalty, Lt. It's just the plain truth. Here, if you use this piece of wood as a cane, it might help your leg some."  
"Thanks, Sgt. We better didi on out of here. The NVA are all over this sector. How much water and food did we scavenge?"  
Lt. Didn't like the look on his Sgt.'s face when he asked him that question.  
"Food? We ain't got any. And this here canteen is the only fresh water that we got. It's going to be dark soon. We can walk a few more klicks, then we can dig in for the night."  
"Good idea. We need all the beauty sleep we can get before 'charlie' captures us." Lt. said sarcastically.  
"I think it would be best to follow the river, Sgt. We won't leave tracks that way."  
Zeke agreed with Lt.  
"We can make a primitive water purifier with some bamboo, mud, small stones, and some leaves." suggested Anderson.  
"Where did you ever learn that?" the Sarge never ceased to amaze Myron.  
"Ah, comen' Lt. I never said it would work. Just can't hurt none."  
The men gathered the items that they needed for the water purifier. When the men finally did dig in for the night, they started to put together the water purifier.   
"Lt., I'll look for something to satisfy these here hunger pains while you assemble the bamboo rod with the stones, grass and mud. Then we can pour the water from the river through it ..."  
"And hope it will be fit to drink." added Lt.  
"Yeah, something like that."  
Sgt. Anderson patrolled the immediate area for something they could eat. He knew that Lt would  
not like his choice from the menu.   
"Well, Lt. We have a regular feast here. A good size snake that wondered into the wrong place, some tree bark, and best of all, a few water beetles from the river."  
Myron was not in the mood for Anderson's witticism.  
"At least we will have some water, such as it is."  
"Comen' Lt. If your hungry enough, you'll forget about the taste."  
"I'll never be that hungry" answered Lt.  
Myron watched as Sgt. Anderson seemed to enjoy his water beetle.  
"Mind over matter, Lt. Just have to think of this here bug as a nice juicy T-bone steak." Anderson said.  
"You have been over here too long, Sgt. You're becoming one of the natives." Goldman teased his Sgt.  
"Maybe so, Lt. Yes, sir. You could be right."   
The two men started to talk about their lives.  
"Lt. You know what I miss most about not being back in the 'world' ?"  
"Your daughter ?"  
"Yeah, I miss Katie, but I really miss good old fashioned fast food. Nothing like a greasy hamburger and fries. What do you miss,? Lt."  
Goldman tried not to get a queasy feeling listening to his friend.  
"Right now I miss a good doctor to treat this bum leg. It hurts like hell, and I think it's getting infected."  
Anderson could see that his friends leg was swollen and red. He knew Lt couldn't walk very far.   
"Seriously, I think I miss Deseray, the nurse I met awhile ago. I can't help but wonder what she is thinking about now. " expressed Lt.  
"Well, Lt, I'll tell ya. If she is a good woman she will be there when we get home." Anderson assured his friend.   
"I think I even miss the general to a certain point. I know he was trying to be a good father the last time I saw him."  
"I'll take the first watch, Lt. I'll wake you in a few hours. Get some sleep now, ya hear ?"  
As Lt drifted into a light sleep, Sgt. Anderson patrolled a small parameter around their camp. He heard something nearby and took cover. It was too late, the VC had found him.  
Anderson understood limited Vietnamese, but he knew that they wanted him to direct them to his encampment. He walked with them at gun point to find a sleeping Lt.   
"What the hell ?" Lt. Said still half asleep.  
The VC would not allow Anderson to utter a word. Goldman also understood what their captures wanted. Lt was first relieved of his weapon. Then he was forced to stand and remove all US Army insignia from his uniform. Since he couldn't remove the sewn on patches from his fatigue skirt, the VC forced him to bury it and leave it behind. Leaving Lt and Sgt Anderson were both in their tee shirts. Lt's leg hurt like hell. The VC tied their hands behind their backs then put a bamboo pole between their hands and their back. It could be used as a pain device if needed. The two men didn't know where their captures were taking them. They just reasoned that they were heading north. They saw an American chopper fly over them, but the chopper could not see them because of the thick jungle. Their captors did not allow them to talk or to make any sound.  
The VC stopped to eat. They sat Goldman and Anderson on the ground and removed their bamboo poles, but their hands were still tied.   
"My leg hurts like hell if anybody cares. " Lt shouted in obvious pain.  
Then a VC came over to Goldman and kicked him on his injured leg as a punishment for speaking.   
"Lt. I know your leg hurts like hell, but it won't do any good to have 'charlie' beat on you." Anderson whispered." Let me try something here Lt." Anderson asked.  
Suddenly Anderson yelled as loud as he could. "Bac Si, Bac Si."  
"Sgt, didn't you just tell me not to do that ?" Lt questioned.  
"Yes um, I sure did sir. But I ain't hurt and you need a doc."  
"Thanks, Sgt."  
"Any time Lt. I'm just lookin out for my Lt."  
The VC came back and started beating Anderson with a long stick for yelling. Goldman tried to get him away from his friend, but he was too weak.  
Both men were exhasted and weak. With the meal finished, the VC replaced the bamboo poles on their captives and started heading north.Anderson could see that his friend was struggleing with pain.  
"Ban cuatoi bi om." Anderson shouted until a soldier heard him.   
"Khong." Was the reply.   
"Sorry Lt. I tried to get a doc for your leg."  
"Thanks anyway, Zeke. I'm beginning to lose feeling in it anyway."   
  



End file.
